Daisy/RWS
United Kingdom England |status = Operational |basis = BR Class 101 |gauge = |powertype = Diesel-mechanical |vehicle = Locomotive |type = Railcar |fueltype = Diesel |config = Bo-Bo |wheels = 8 |topspeed = 70 mph |builder = Metropolitan Cammell |yearbuilt = 1960 |arrivedonsodor = 1960 |number = NWR D1 |railway = North Western Railway }} Daisy is a diesel railcar who works on the North Western Railway. She had initially arrived on Sodor to fill in for Thomas while he was at the Works, but was allowed to stay. She now works on the Ffarquhar branch line, assisting Thomas with the passenger traffic. Biography Daisy was built by Metropolitan Cammell specially for service on the Ffarquhar branch line in 1960 , and arrived on Sodor to fill in for Thomas while he was at the Works after his accident at the Ffarquhar stationmaster's house. Daisy was rude and hard to please; she refused to sleep in the engine sheds on the grounds that they were "smelly", and insulted Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta. The next day, Daisy refused to leave the station when the milk van was coupled to her, claiming her fitter had told her that pulling trucks was "bad for her swerves". This was not true, but Daisy spent so much time arguing with her driver and passengers that she was allowed to take her train without the milk van. From then on, Daisy would regularly leave the milk van behind for Percy or Toby to take. Daisy later insulted Toby for having cowcatchers and sideplates, believing he was afraid of other animals hurting him and claiming one only needed to "toot and look them in the eye" to shoo animals. However, when she was sent to shoo a bull named Champion who was grazing on the line, Daisy was intimidated by the bull and backed down, leaving Toby to deal with him instead. Daisy was later teased by some boys over the incident. When the Fat Controller found out that Daisy was lazing about, he spoke to her sternly and threatened to send her away. He agreed to give her a second chance after she apologised and had seen how she had helped clean up the mess Percy had made when he crashed into a train of stone, and had Toby teach her how to run branch lines. With Toby's help, Daisy became a hard worker and a reliable engine, and when Thomas had returned from the Works, she began looking after the passenger trains on the branch line with him. While Thomas was in England at the National Railway Museum, Daisy was put in charge of his fast run to Knapford. Daisy claimed she was not afraid of snow, but her opinion changed after she got stuck in a snowdrift and was forced to wait a week before she could be rescued. When Thomas returned from York, Daisy was chosen to bring the guests to Knapford for the welcome home party. However, she was delayed when she ran over a traffic cone lying on the level crossing at Dryaw, jamming her brakes; she believed George, who had been working there earlier, had put it there on purpose. In the end, she made it to Knapford Junction in time for Thomas' return. In 1995, Daisy became stranded on the main line when the stretch before Dryaw was declared unsafe as rabbits had burrowed beneath the line, so she was given the job of ferrying passengers from the airfield to Knapford. She stayed at Tidmouth Sheds during this time, and tried to cheer Henry up when he began worrying about the Golden Jubilee. Daisy once came across some grass snakes near the line, and teased Percy for being silly when he worried about them. However, she would later be humiliated when she blew a fuse out of fright when a crate of eels was dropped in front of her, and Thomas had to take her train. In 2011, Daisy attended the ceremony where the bust of the Thin Clergyman was unveiled at Tidmouth. Personality and traits Technical details Basis Livery Daisy is painted BR Brunswick green with yellow lining. Her buffer beams are painted red, while her wheels are black. Her face is green, making it appear to be embedded in her body. In ''Branch Line Engines, she carried the BR "Cycling Lion" crest on her sides. Trivia * Daisy is the first female engine introduced in The Railway Series. * Some of the stories involving Daisy reflect events in real life that were faced by railway staff when it came to dealing with "highly sprung" diesel engines in the earlier phases of dieselisation. * Wilbert Awdry made an OO scale model of Daisy for his layout. References